JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 6, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 6, 2021

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Eric Hansen

3:06

I think there's that kind of potential. But in talking to Clark Lea about this, they are very selective in not only choosing a match academically and athletically, but also someone who is good for team chemistry ... who's willing to earn respect and their spot in the two-deeps.

Jim From Phoenix

3:05

Hi Eric, Thank you for your outstanding work. Question re graduate transfers: do you sense that players who have dedicated years to ND feel think allowing "rentals" to come in and play immediately has a certain amount of unfairness?

Eric Hansen

3:04

Happy New Year, Emily. I think it's natural to defend your players, especially someone like Ian Book, who really did try to break through a ceiling others had set for him. I think, as a coach, you get great satisfaction out of players who become great leaders, who work tirelessly to improve and those who are successful at doing so. I think there was a stretch this season where Ian did reach new heights in his game. It did not sustain itself into mid-December and beyond, but it wasn't for lack of effort.

Emily

3:00

Emily from Carmel IN. Happy New Year, Eric, to you and your family. Thanks for hosting these sessions for us each week. I am wondering if you see any parallels of tunnel vision between how Joe Madden kept using Chapman in the the 2016 MLB playoffs for the Cubs and how Coach Kelly adamantly praised Ian Book? Both athletes dominated weak opponents, but looked less than impressive when it really counted.. Both Madden and Kelly then bristled whenever they were challenged by the press after the big games. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:58

OK, I promised you all some overtime. There are still a lot of questions in the queue. But I need to say something first. There's some serious stuff going down in Washington at the moment. Violence. I'm not going to get political here. I don't want to be insensitive to it by continuing the chat. So if you want to break away, the transcript will be here for you later. I made this commitment to be here for you, so I will keep it. Again, I am not minimizing what is happening outside the sports world.

2:55

Jim thank you and Happy New Year,

Jim from Albuquerque

2:53

Hi Eric...No question today, just a comment and reflection. I’m beyond proud of our football team! They struggled through a difficult season, endured hardships and played their hearts out. No they didn’t win a national championship, but they won the hearts of their loyal Notre Dame community. They’ll keep knocking at the door and one they will break it down. It’s my fondest hope that the university will never surrender its academic standards for athletes...best to you and yours...

Eric Hansen

2:53

They played soft coverage, because they didn't want to give up 70 points. The strategy was to keep everything in front of them. They didn't throw to the WRs more because Book wasn't willing to do what he had done in the first Clemson game, in the North Carolina and Pitt games and that is throw into a tight window and let them go make a play. Happy New Year, Erik.

Erik (Granger, IN)

2:52

Happy new year! I’m sure you’ll get plenty of Q’s about the new DC and all the personnel changes, so I’ll stick with the game for now. Please fill in the blanks about what you wonder the most about the game plans. Why did ND _____ (e.g play so much soft coverage)? And why didn’t ND _____ (e.g. throw to the WRs more)?

Eric Hansen

2:51

Happy New Year, Kim. I'm going to do a little deeper dive in my research this weekend. There's a lot to like about his accuracy and his poise and his experience. My question is how does a guy with negative career rushing yardage fit in a system where a quarterback with a running dimension is desired? And how do you square that with Buchner, who is a gifted runner? Run two different offenses? I still like the move whether he turns out to be a starter or he's a nice insurance policy who is an asset in the QB room.

Kim. Wichita Ks

2:47

Kim Wichita Ks Eric I really enjoyed the chats luv your insightful perspective on all the issues. What are your thoughts on Jack Coan? Hope all is well with your family and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Eric Hansen

2:47

Thanks Chad, and same to you. I don't have this team targeted as a slam dunk for a New Year's Six, but I don't think it's a ridiculous expectation if it can answer its offseason questions as emphatically as it did last offseason. Keep your eye on the QB competition and how the O-Line comes together.

Chad, Denver

hit enter too soon, was going to add is a new years 6 bowl a realistic expectation for 2021? Keep up the great work!

2:45

Eric, I wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year. I'm sure we all hope it is better than 2020. I'm sure you are getting this question a lot so I'll just pile on, do any of the transfers (in or out) surprise you? and if we are fortunate enough to have a normal football season in

Eric Hansen

2:44

Really tough because there can be some young talent like Tosh Baker or Rocco Spindler who could push their way into the mix. But let's assume for a moment that doesn't happen. You always start with answering this question, who are you best five to start the spring? And let's pretend Jarrett Patterson is healthy. He isn't, but he's in your top five. Then you fit people in positions. The top three to me are Patterson, Lugg and Correll. Then it gets interesting. I'd probably go with Kristofic next and then a pool of Gibbons, Carroll, Baker, Spinder fighting it out for No. 5. Then as you place these guys, who's the left tacke: Kristofic or Patterson?

Matt from Nappanee, IN

2:37

Now that Notre Dame knows about Banks, what is your prediction for the OL next year by position?

Eric Hansen

2:36

I would say the five-game stretch of Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Va Tech, USC and North Carolina. I'd put North Carolina as the toughest game. Why? Because Sam Howell is back and North Carolina's defense is going to improve.

Michael from Chicago

2:34

At the moment what do you think are the toughest games on the schedule next season and why?

Eric Hansen

2:33

OK, to Tim. You lively minx. Those are the two choices? Play young guys or coast to retirement? Nick Saban doesn't do either. He's built a culture where the best players play, and players know they may have to wait. Players like Najee Harris, and they willingly do. I think playing the best players, regardless of age, is the fair way to do it. If you play someone just to make sure they don't transfer, how fair is that to the kid that busted his butt to beat him out?

2:31

Let me circle back to Chris' question real quick. When I say I've written extensively about it, I'm not trying to be condescending. I realize people have busy lives and they're not necessarily going to catch everything we write. But rather than repeat the answer that others already know or just ignore the question entirely, I choose this path.

Tim in Atlanta

2:29

The combination of ND's lack of recruiting with the emergence of the transfer portal spells trouble as I see it. It now becomes necessary for Kelly to actually play young players to keep them engaged and developing. Especially quarterbacks, wide-outs and Dbacks. Do you think Kelly will shift and actually do it or just ride the wave to retirement?

Eric Hansen

I wouldn't be surprised to see them look at the grad transfer market at S, CB or DE.

2:28

Ok, this question is from Ced Walker from Saginaw, Mich., and I deleted it by mistake:
do u see brian kelly taking a grad transfer at wr, safety, de, and I really see jack coan starting at qb

2:27

Yes, wrote about that before and after ND-Clemson Part I.

Chris Marco Island Florida

my question is did the ND coaches realize Clemson steals signals and did they make any attempt to negate or counter the signal stealing?

2:26

happy new year thanks for all the great articles in this chat! I noticed that Ohio state was well aware of Clemson‘s signal stealing and made some major adjustments that threw their defense off and negated the DCoordinator

Eric Hansen

2:25

Bill, thanks and thank you all for helping to keep me sane. ... I think it's healthy to have an open competition. But to your point about whether to make a move in 2021 based on the 2022 season, I think you have to play for the year you're in. It's not fair to the players (especially seniors) or yourself if you do it any other way. But if Buchner isn't starting and he's a guy you see being a future starter and a capable backup, I'd make sure he got into some games to get experience without the outcome being in the balance.

Bill 1000 Oaks Ca

2:22

Don’t want to diminish in anyway sacrifices made by all players coaches in 2020.Enjoyed your with or without Kelly article. Thought his rant showed his indifference for lack of a better word & why he probably won’t ever deliver what he wants too. Looking at 2022 schedule don’t you think he would be better off starting Buchner rather than a grad transfer?? Quickly I can think of two freshman QB’S who have beaten him! Sincere thanks for the sacrifices you have made to preserve our sanity last year! Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

2:22

Jude, he is the assistant that perplexes me. I want to be fair to him, and we really haven't had many opportunities since he's been at ND to get to know him and ask him questions. Last recruiting cycle was one where I felt was critical for him in proving himself, and I think he passed that test. I also felt last year was a big year for him to prove himself from a developmental standpoint, and I think he was hamstrung to a degree by COVID. So this is the year. 2021. It should be plain for all of us to see what the answer to your question is at that point.

Jude from Watertown, N.Y.

2:18

Is it just me or has the performance of Del Alexander been underwhelming? Perhaps Del's Kevin Austin and Braden Lenzy plans were derailed through no fault of his own, but the production from the wide receivers that he's recruited is underwhelming. The 2020 season numbers for those WRs recruited from 2017 (Del's first year) to present: 22 catches, 217 yards, two touchdowns. Not great!

Eric Hansen

2:18

Thanks, Steve. Because of the grad transfer market, I think ND can upgrade at the positions it's losing some of the transfers. ND is well about 85 still, but coming down toward that number. They don't need to be at 85 until the first day of fall-semester classes.

Steve S., Kenosha, WI

2:16

Eric, thank you so much for your exemplary coverage over the years. What is your preliminary assessment of the transfers occurring thus far? Will the Irish be better or worse for it factoring in potential incoming transfers? What might scholarship numbers look like factoring all non-returnees?

Eric Hansen

2:16

Ian Book did great things with his legs, with his moxie, with his intangibles. The next ND QB needs to do that and finish higher in the pass-efficiency ratings. The two QBs playing for the title are No. 1 and No. 5. Last year Joe Burrow of LSU was No. 1. Trevor Lawrence was No. 12 as a freshman when he led Clemson to the title. Going back to the 2012 season when Bama beat ND in the BCS National Championship Game, there has only been one QB on a title-winning team that finished below No. 20. That was Jake Coker (31st) in 2015. Ian Books was 33rd. To your final question, BK feels he has hired that person. I do think Rees got the best out of Book. Now the talent and the expectations should be higher going forward.

2:10

OK to Sean, thank you. Today's football requires a QB who can be elite in passing efficiency. So I agree, Ian Book got them to a certain point, and now you're looking for the kind of quarterback who can help get you to that next level. I am in no way disrespecting Book and what he accomplished. This discussion is about where ND needs to go at that position from this point forward. (more)

2:01

Alex, if I left something out, let me know and I'll try to get at it.

2:00

Where I give BK credit — and I wrote about this in depth —is that he doesn't put limits on the program, he accepts and acknowledges that it's a different and more challenging path than at other places, and that he's willing to evolve and be open-minded to continue to make the next steps. But those next steps are hard, not just for ND, but for everybody that's not Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State.

1:56

Alex, thanks, and I think I can address your thoughts. I think Brian would admit that he could have handled the postgame presser better. Maybe not in that moment, but once he got beyond it. I am not standing up or defending his shortcomings in the postgame, but let me try to explain what I think is the dynamic that led to that outcome. In reality, Brian pushes himself harder than his critics do. The Irish have accomplished something that 125 of the 130 FBS schools have not done ... and that's get to the playoff more than once. The next step is winning a game (or two) on that stage. The frustration Brian feels is the impatience to get to that next step without people maybe acknowledging the increment that ND accomplish. I also think this season took a lot out of all coaches, with the testing, quarantining, etc. (more)

1:46

Ok, I messed up here and put Sean's question in the middle of Alex's. So let's go Alex first and then Sean.

Alex from Jackson, MO

1:45

my perspective, he is difficult to deal with as a journalist. I admire you all being professional, yet asking real questions. He could stand to learn from you, Eric, when it comes to professionalism. Not exactly a great role model for young men when it comes to dealing with the media when adverse times are present.

Sean, Greensboro

1:45

Happy. New Year, and looking forward to your excellent reporting for another year.Question,. Kelly and his staff seem unable to recruit and develop an elite an elite qb. Ian is a nice story, but hardly exceptional-regardless of how many games he won. On the big stage we flop again.Why does he not hire a person who can recruit an elite qb and develop him? Does his ego prevent this? Otherwise, we will be be stuck in this endless cycle of blowouts.Very frustrated. Thanks .

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